She Was
'"She Was" '''is the twenty-ninth episode of ''Fantasyland, the third season, and the 56th episode overall. It also served as the second of four "finales" in the season. It was narrated by Rhys, airing on April 14, 2014. In the episode, a surprising and totally unforseen secret is cast into the light as everyone else is cast into darkness. The Episode MAGIC SHOP DAWN was coming. Castor was grinning satisfied. Emilio then clubbed him over the head. Castor slumped. Downstairs, Sasha, Niall, and Grant watched with pounding hearts as Emilio sealed the backroom. He said that even if DAWN bombed the shop, the backroom and all of the Queen's artifacts would survive. But they would not. Emilio lifted a latch near the ceiling. Niall saw it open onto the street. A small grate behind a popcorn stand. Emilio peered out. Then, he pressed a lever underneath the popcorn cart. The back wall fell away. Niall stared. Another tunnel. To which safe haven did this one lead? MAIN STREET IN THE PAST Noah had to admit though, he was reluctant to give Sasha to Pollux. She was working so well as a nurse and a DAWN member. But Noah was even more impressed by the massive amount of lauding she did. She literally loved Noah for everything he had done. No one had ever given him any sort of emotional attention like that. Sasha, or Cara as everyone called her, skipped along Main Street. She pointed to the VMK Central Marquee. Noah shook his head at her. Adventureland got horrible reviews. At the end of the road, Petal Castle taunted him. The stupid Queen, on her last legs now, was dying in one of the rooms. Good. Noah and Sasha stopped in Central Plaza for a popcorn, but the stall was out of service. Noah stared at the Magic Shop. Who on Earth would even go there? At Petal Castle's gate, Noah saw a thick, scary guard switch out with a short, squat one. He beckoned to Sasha. CASTLE FORECOURT The guard didn't move as they approached. "The Queen," Noah said, "Where is she?" The guard put on a puzzled look. "She's...in the castle. Where else would she be...?" "Which room?" "Confidential." "Which room?" Noah pushed forward. "Hey, Noah, stop..." Sasha said, pulling Noah back. Noah continued to hound the short guard. Noah pulled back his jacket, revealing a gun. He used it as a threat. And the guard stabbed his arm. Noah screamed and collapsed. Other guards quickly arrived and expelled Noah and Sasha from the scene. Noah collapsed near the statue of the King and Queen. He held his arm, teeth clenched. And Sasha set to work. She wrapped the arm, removed dirt, used everything she learned in less than two days of nursing, to save his arm. She arranged for help to take Noah back to the Esplanade. As he was gurneyed back, Sasha repeatedly said "I love you." And by the ninety-seventh time, Noah returned the favor with an engagement proposal. PENNY ARCADE THE PRESENT The old arcade was deserted. The three royal children, Emilio, and Castor were dispersed across the hall. The clamor of the raid on Emilio's shop had become quiet. They realized they were attacking an empty shell. How did they find them, Niall wondered. She knew Grant would never say anything. She knew SHE didn't say anything. For Emilio to be evil at this point would be the meanest, most convoluted twist ever. And alas, he is not evil. So he wouldn't say anything. So it must have been Sasha...or Castor. Grant reached across the table and grabbed Niall's hand. She gave it a tight squeeze. They couldn't hide forever. A scraping noise came from the tunnel behind the tron machine. Emilio's head whipped over. Niall felt herself tense. Not now, she thought. Please, God, not now. The machine slid out. Emilio made movements with his hands. GET DOWN, he mouthed. The three children ducked behind a table. Emilio pushed Castor over with his foot. The unconscious blob did so. A hand emerged from behind the machine. Emilio aimed his gun. "AH!" "Dugood!" Emilio grabbed Harvey Dugood and pulled him into a tight hug. Niall walked over to meet her twin. The reunion was shortlived. Emilio loved these people, but there was no time for sentiment. "How did you get in?" "Easier than you think." Trumpets blared. Emilio peered outside. Thousands of soldiers were packed onto the streets. Niall joined Emilio at the window. Her heart filled with joy. The soldiers were wearing brown. The color of gingerbread. The Gingerbread Empire sent their soldiers. Niall unlocked the iron door and swung it open. An elegant carriage door opened and the Emperor of the Gingerbread Empire stepped out. MAIN STREET Niall looked down the street. The DAWN rebels at the edge of Central Plaza looked helpless. She saw Pollux looking sour. All their weapons had been confiscated. Also in the royal carriage: the Lumiukko and Gallifreyan. The Emperor approached Niall. He bowed. "Your majesty." Niall reciprocated the gesture. She almost forgot she was the Queen. Niall introduced the rest of her siblings: Dugood, Sasha, and Grant. The Emperor explained his offer of asylum. No harm could come to the royal family while they safely resided in the Imperial City. Dugood and Grant almost laughed at the news. Finally, they would be safe. Niall stepped aside to let her siblings board first. The Lumiukkon and Galli helped them in. Emilio followed. The Lumiukkess joined Niall on the street. The Emperor smiled at the Queen. He lifted her arm in the air. "The Queen and her consorts are to be protected by the Gingerbread Empire until her right to the throne is returned!" Her arm lowered. "If any harm were to befall any of the monarchs, the Empire and its allies will viciously attack Fantasyland and the anarchist group at its helm." The Emperor boarded the carriage. Niall followed suit. The Lumiukkess ascended the steps. "Sasha!" Noah appeared at the front of the crowd. He reached out for the door. Sixteen guards grabbed him. He felt four guns poke into his head. Sasha fumbled to open the door. "Let him in!" she cried. Niall refused. "Move out," the Emperor commanded. "Wait!" Sasha and the Lumiukkess said in unison. "No!" Niall cried. She glared at Noah. "He tried to kill us." "Sasha!" Noah pleaded. "Niall, I..." the Lumiukkess began. "Move out!" The Emperor said fiercely. The procession began. It wasn't until they safely disembarked at Icicle Creek did Emilio realize he forgot something. He swore. Castor. PENNY ARCADE Pollux untied her brother. He was swearing irately. All this #### had to happen! He exploded when Pollux told him of the Emperor's gift of asylum. "He'll pay, he'll pay..." Castor kept whispering. Noah knocked on the door. "She's here." Pollux groaned. Castor rolled his eyes. They beckoned her inside. Katarina didn't thank them. "I see you failed. Again." Castor said. "I see you're doing no better," Katarina retorted. Castor clenched his jaw. "We had a deal," Pollux said. Katarina tried to look calm. "Their heads," Castor said, "or yours." "It's hard!" Katarina spat. "Tough. Because now the offer has doubled. Four heads." "You want all of them?" Katarina gasped. Quadruple regicide? Unheard of. Castor checked his watch. "The next boat leaves in an hour. I suggest you cash in your friendship with whats-her-face." Katarina bit her tongue, turned and left, wishing she had never made a deal with DAWN. ICICLE CREEK "How are you settling in?" Niall whirled around. The Emperor was standing on the balcony. She welcomed him inside. "It's a lovely kingdom," she commented. The Emperor agreed. She thanked him again for his help. He waved it off as no problem. "Your mother and my father were close allies. They were also friends." "I'd like the same for us," Niall said. The Emperor smiled. "I'd like it too." Tamara was tugging her thumb. Emilio was making angry phone calls to a friend in Main Street. According to him, Castor had escaped. She had to say something. SOMETHING had to be said. She should say it tonight. At dinner. When everyone was settled. They had to know. Asylum was no picnic. Grant and Dugood were sitting on the beach, the first time the brothers had ever interacted. Niall was upstairs in her room. Sasha was sitting alone on a bench. Gall, Brandon, and her father were inside. Dmitri (that's the Lumiukkon) didn't seem to know about Castor. He must not have gotten a good look at his face. On the carriage ride, she had asked Emilio "is it true?" He nodded once. She closed her eyes. CASTLE GARDENS 21 YEARS AGO "Your ladyship," a guard said. Tamara bowed. "The Queen requests your presence." Tamara sighed sadly and followed the guard. GALLERY The palace was dark. They were in unofficial mourning. It had been only four months. Tamara could see mirages of the children playing in the halls. Niall bouncing around. Harvey tugging at suits of armor. Sasha banging a spoon. Grant drooling, still unable to crawl. Above her, the magnificent stained-glass windows illustrated the royal family's life. A black curtain had been pulled over the images of the children. A large gong was attached just beneath it. That's what the royal prophets promised. A gong when the children were to return. But by then, the Queen would be dead. Tamara's new child, Madelyn, would never see her mother again. The King was not outside the Queen's bedchamber when Tamara approached. He must be either inside or around the castle. The guard knocked. "The Lumiukkess, your majesty." The door opened. The tearful Queen yanked her best friend inside. "What is it, Rose?" Tamara asked, sensing urgency. The Queen was crying. "Something's happened." ICICLE CREEK THE PRESENT "Kat!" "Gall!" Dugood screamed. Grant stared at him. Dugood ran into his room. "Oh Gall, your majesties," Katarina said as the Lumiukko gathered, "it's horrible! Castor and Pollux and DAWN have taken over everything! They're building another castle where Petal Castle used to be, only it will be dark and horrid, oh!" "You must stay for dinner!" Tamara insisted. "Only dinner?" Grant cried, "She can't go back there!" Gall agreed. Katarina was to stay. "She can share my room," Gall said. Grant went searching for Dugood. It was unlike him, it seemed, to not be cordial. Dugood was in his room. "She's going to kill us," he was saying. "Who...?" Grant asked. "Katarina." Katarina was officially pissed off. The boat ride over had given her plenty of time to think, however. First of all, killing the four of them would only make things worse for her. She wasn't an idiot. She could hide from Castor and Pollux if she had to. Besides, she had David. David and Margaret Normalife. That was her escape. She had recently called David; he was glad to have her back in the Empire. He had finalized the purchase of the house in Key East. A lovely home. She had decided that while here, she would be attentive, calm, and most of all, polite. If she played her cards right, they would take her back to Fantasyland when the time was ripe. The only problem was, as usual, Dugood. She had literally almost murdered him. That wasn't so easily forgotten. She had a plan, of course. It was a longshot, but it was worth a try. Her new goal, however, was hefty. She remembered her nanny from Black Widow Farm, her home. She had always said, "We never bite the hand that feeds us. Unless it feeds you less." That was the core principle of Ultimate Communism. And now she was ready to bite. She wasn't just going to bite the hand. She was going to chomp it off, skewer it, and feed it to hungry orphans. =WHAT IS EVERYONE DOING= The Lumiukkess was rounding everyone for dinner. Her heart was pounding. Katarina was inspecting the beach. What an interesting river... Dugood was hiding in his room. He knew he'd have to come out eventually. Galli and Brandon were preparing the table. Grant was listening to Dugood with a pounding heart. A murderess? Sasha was thinking of Noah and how Niall turned him away. Niall and the Emperor were descending the stairs for dinner. They were laughing. Emilio was stewing. He had left a dictator to power. Supper was eaten in a mostly relieved fervor. Niall and the Emperor exchanged jokes and tales. The Lumiukko felt at peace with their children. Even Emilio cracked a smile. At the end of dinner, the Lumiukkess stood. "I need to tell you all something..." "I hope," Emilio interrupted, "this is not about DAWN." The Lumiukkess understood. No Castor. "No," she said, "it's...worse." She looked at Sasha. She told her tale. Silence was complete. Each sentence sent a gasp rippling through the room. By the middle, mouths hung open. Emilio shook his head. It was unbelievable. Tamara choked on the last few sentences. And then she finished. Niall threw a hand to her mouth. Katarina gaped. Sasha said nothing, but then she screamed. BANQUET HALL 21 YEARS AGO Tamara stared. WHAT? The Queen's eyes were red. She hadn't slept. "How long have you known?" "Only a week." "My gosh..." Tamara sat on a chair. "What should I do?" "Does Stephen know?" Tamara asked. The Queen shook her head. The King had no idea. "I think I want to," the Queen said. Tamara sucked in breath. "Is that safe?" The Queen did not reply. Of course it wasn't. "I can't bear to do it again..." she said. "There are no other options," Tamara said. The Queen cried again. "I could..." She made a stabbing motion. Tamara's mouth fell open. "Oh my God, Rose!" Rose continued to cry. She was distraught. She was hysterical. She was delusional. She was pregnant. ICICLE CREEK THE PRESENT The news had only just settled. When the announcement was over, everyone just wanted to be with their thoughts. A fifth child. The Queen had been pregnant with a fifth child. To Dugood, it didn't seem to matter. Yes, the whole ordeal was complicated and twisty, but eh. The door opened. "I said I was going to bed," "I'm sorry," Katarina said. Dugood tensed. Katarina sat on his bed. Dugood assessed his escape options. Katarina rolled her eyes. "Harvey, I made a huge mistake." Mistake? That was some way to put it. Katarina continued. "You see, my parents were killed when I was young. I remembered seeing someone stab my father in the kitchen. And...I thought it was you..." "WHAT?!" "I know! I'm sorry! I thought...I'm so sorry!" Harvey's mind raced. It was all a miscalculation? "You're not trying to kill me?" "No! No!" Katarina said forcefully, "I love all of you!" She got up and hugged him. And when she didn't plunge a knife into his back, Dugood hugged her back. BANQUET HALL 21 YEARS AGO "I'm going to keep it," the Queen said finally. Tamara nodded. "Are you sure? You would have to keep it a secret." The Queen put on her first smile. "I'll be fine. And if I need help," She held up two fingers. Tamara agreed. "Gemini," they said together. Tamara and the Queen sat in silence. The noiselessness was heavy. "Have you thought of names?" Tamara asked. "Oh," the Queen sat back. Names. She hadn't even thought of that. Niall, Harvey, Grant, Sasha, and....? "Julia," the Queen said finally. "That's beautiful," Tamara said, "but what if it's a boy?" The Queen thought for a moment. She lifted her eyebrows. "If it's a girl, I'll name her Julia. If it's a boy, I'll name him Noah." Production Continuity and Story Arcs The royals and Emilio escaped from DAWN's raid through a tunnel connecting the Magic Shop to an arcade. The Gingerbread Empire arrived to offer asylum to the royal family. This marked the first appearance of Emperor Edward V since the first season. In the past, Noah was saved by Cara and rewarded her with his engagement. Noah tried to go with the royals and Sasha to the Gingerbread Empire, but Niall refused. The Lumiukkess tried to tell Niall about her secret, but everyone was vehement. Katarina abandoned her task to kill the royals, regarding them as better allies than Castor and Pollux. She apologized to Dugood with a fake story and he believed it. At dinner and through flashbacks, the Lumiukkess revealed her largest secret: 21 years ago, after the four children had been dispersed into the care of their Keepers, the Queen became pregnant with a fifth child. That child was born to be Noah. Trivia *Noah's actual identity was not the original concept for his character, but was developed by the time of the first of four finales. This also makes his relationship with Sasha incestuous, the first and only relationship of this kind in Storytime. *This episode marked the meeting of Niall and the Emperor. The relationship is interesting because it is common knowledge that Niall will become Empress of the Gingerbread Empire and therefore must succeed Emperor Edward or at least marry him. *This episode is the producer's favorite of all of Fantasyland. Category:Episodes Category:Fantasyland Episodes